


And I'd Choose You

by ekayla



Category: Logan Lucky (2017), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Drunk Rey, F/M, Fluff, Reylogan, clyde helps her out, rey is a badass and clyde is impressed, rey on earth, terrible pick up line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:35:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25140223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekayla/pseuds/ekayla
Summary: Rey crashlands on Earth and lucky for her, she runs into Clyde.
Relationships: Clyde Logan/Rey (Star Wars)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 75
Collections: A Picture is worth 1000 Words - PL Summer Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

_ In a hundred lifetimes  _

_ In a hundred worlds  _

_ In any version of reality _

_ I’d find you _

_ \--and I’d choose you _

Stars streamed past her vision as she flew through space. 

She knew she shouldn’t have gone to Lah’mu, but after Rose mentioned there was a chance of a pocket of rebels hiding out there, she had to check it out to make sure they were okay and offer their help any way she could. While some might say Rey has a good heart, others might say she was reckless. And others might be right, she really should have been more careful. Especially considering Supreme Leader of the First Order Kylo Ren, or as he’s known to a select few as Ben Solo, was constantly looking for her, with spies on what felt like every corner of the galaxy. She had a complicated relationship with the Supreme Leader, one that not many understood, or really knew about for that matter. While she knew in her heart that there was still light in him, others did not share this belief and had written him off as dark and evil. Either way, Rey did not want to be captured by his men today and risk exposing the Resistance. 

She had made it off planet and into space, but she couldn’t keep going like this forever. It was then, that she saw it.  _ An asteroid belt. _ She pulled the lever that kicked the X-wing into a higher speed. She wasn’t ready to go into lightspeed, but Rey figured she could lose the two TIEs in the belt. 

She flew in, dipped and dodged, causing one TIE to crash right into an asteroid. Rey continued flying up, down and around hoping to lose the last one. Suddenly, she found herself flying directly towards one of the space rocks. 

“Oh shit!” With all her might, she pulled the controls to jerk herself into the opposite direction, barely missing the asteroid. Behind her, the TIE was not so lucky. “Hell yeah!” she yelled victoriously, finally free from the enemy ships. Before she could get too excited and jump into hyperspace to head back to the Resistance Base, she felt her ship sort of… sinking.  _ That can’t be right. I wasn’t hit, was I?  _ Rey checked her fighter’s status.  _ Nothing out of place.  _ Then, all of a sudden all the alarms started going off at once. Her X-Wing was going down, darkness consuming her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

\-- 

Rey woke to the smell of smoke. Her head hurt, and she had a ringing in her ears. She took her helmet off and brought her hand up to where the pain was most intense. When she brought it back down, there was blood.  _ Not too much,  _ she thought through her headache.  _ I need to get out of here. _ She unbuckled herself, and stumbled out of the ship. Surprisingly, she landed on grass.  _ Where am I?  _ Wherever she was, it was night. She cursed herself for not bringing the Skywalker’s lightsaber with her. The area was dark, but there weren’t many trees around. She looked up to see the starry sky, clear and bright. Around her feet, grass came up to her ankles, green and growing freely. Off to the distance in front of her, she could see tall trees, ones she’d never seen before. Slowly, she spun around and saw the lights of civilization, a little ways off. She started walking, or rather stumbling, hoping that whoever was around here could help her.

\-- 

It was a Tuesday night, so Duck Tape wasn’t terribly busy. Clyde meandered around the bar, kind of wishing that Jimmy hadn’t moved to Lynchberg and left him here, alone in West Virginia. But he understands, he’s gotta be close to his daughter. And if there’s anything Clyde understands, it’s that family comes first. He’s not really alone, he’s got Mel, but he doesn’t see her as much as he used to. 

He filled a couple orders, cleaned the counter, and let his mind wander a bit. His ears caught onto something in the distance, a small explosion maybe. He looked up that way, but then figured it's the Bang brothers blowing up fireworks again and went back to cleaning the bar.

About fifteen minutes later, he heard the door open and felt something stir in him as a girl wearing strange cream colored clothing and a staff strapped to her back entered the room. 

\-- 

As Rey approached the building, she saw the bright yellow lights in fact spell out a word in Basic: “Duck Tape”.  _ Odd name for a cantina. _ She’d walked off her slight limp, and stepped into the establishment. It was mostly empty. She headed towards the main counter, hoping she could get something to drink, despite having no currency. Well, she has  _ some _ credits, but she has no idea what planet she’s on and she doesn’t know the exchange rate or if they’ll even transfer. She sat on the stool and glanced around. Normally at a place like this, she would see people of all species, but tonight she only saw humans.  _ Maybe this place doesn’t allow non-humans… _ She didn’t think places like that existed anymore. A deep voice startled her out of her thoughts. 

“What can I get for ya?” 

Rey looked up to see that a man appeared in front of her across the counter, with medium length dark hair, one eyebrow raised, and looking a lot like-

“Ben?” She gaped at him, wondering how in the world this could be possible. Not to see him, in general, but like  _ this. _ Wearing a plaid shirt, buttoned up, hair a bit longer and with facial hair. He looked… older. It was then she noticed his left arm, or lack thereof. “What happened to your arm? Are you okay? What’s happened-” She grabbed his hand. 

He pulled it back. “Ma’am, I dunno who this  _ Ben _ character is, but I ain’t him.” 

His accent. It was… different. And rough. Rey didn’t understand, but something inside her told her this wasn’t Ben. And yet, this man looked just like him. 

“Oh… I’m… I’m sorry. You just look a lot like… someone I know.” She placed her hands in her lap, fearful that she might try and reach out again. None of this was making sense, she had to figure out where she was and fast. “Could you tell me, where am I exactly?” 

The bartender stared at her for a moment, almost like he was trying to figure out why she was asking such a question. “Boone County, West Virginia.” 

_ Boone County? West Virginia?  _ Rey racked her brain, but she had never heard of either of those places in her studies of the galaxy maps. She must have really hit her head hard. She rubbed it again, and the man noticed. Silently, he moved to grab some ice from the bin and put it in an empty glass, sliding it her way. 

“Thank you.” Her voice came out as soft as a whisper, grateful but still confused. She was trying to piece things together, like she was rebuilding a speeder but didn’t have all the parts. 

He nodded, and she lifted the glass to rest the side of it on her head. 

“That must have been one hell of a fight.” 

“Oh, um. Yeah.” Rey decided then that she wasn’t going to tell the man much more until she could learn more herself. She didn’t know if she could trust him just yet. After all, he had the face of Ben Solo, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, the man trying to find her. “You should see the other guy,” she joked. 

With that, one corner of the man’s mouth lifted into a smirk. Just then, three men walked up to Rey. The bartender nodded towards them before sliding a little ways down the bar counter, still within earshot, and began wiping down the wooden bartop. The men were all definitely tipsy, and one of them leaned onto the counter next to her, placing his head on his knuckles.    
  


“Hey there, pretty lady. Did it hurt?” 

Confused, set down her glass and furrowed her brows. “Excuse me?” 

“Ya know, when you fell from heaven. Cuz with a face like that, I’m thinkin’ you outta be an angel.” 

The bartender rolled his eyes and let out an embarrassing chuckle, still cleaning. The men didn’t notice, but Rey did.

She turned towards the men. “Thank you, but no thank you.” She stood up to leave, but as she did, the man who spoke to her, clearly the more confident of the three, placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Aw, don’t leave now! We was just gettin’ to know each other.” 

Rey’s face was beginning to redden. She knew the type, living all those years on Jakku. “Don’t touch me.” 

The bartender stopped wiping and turned to face the group, ready to step in and kick their asses if needed. 

But before he could do anything, Rey grabbed the man’s hand on her shoulder, flipped him over on his back, grabbed her staff and jabbed it on his chest, all in one fluid motion. 

“I said, don’t touch me!” 

The look on all three men’s faces was a mixture of shock and fear, while the bartender’s face was one of astonishment. The other two helped their friend up and they backed away. 

“What the hell, you crazy bitch!” the not-so-confident-anymore man shouted at Rey. 

The bartender stepped around and towards the men. 

“Out.”

He pointed towards the door, and the man looked between the bartender and Rey before stomping outside. The two others followed. 

After they left, he turned towards Rey. “You okay, ma’am?” 

“Yes, thank you.” She nodded, reminding her that this was not Ben. 

“Clyde.” 

Rey slung her staff back over her shoulder and brushed off her clothes. “Huh?” 

“Clyde Logan. And you are?” 

For a moment, she thought about lying. But there was something in his eyes, something small, but definitely there, that caused her to change her mind. He’d helped her, and she began to think that maybe, just maybe, she could trust him after all. 

“Rey.” 

He smiled, and walked back around the bar. 

“So, Clyde, where can I find the ‘fresher?” 

Clyde’s eyebrows furrowed. “The what now?” 

“You know, the ‘fresher?”  _ Shit, that must not be what people call it on this planet.  _ “The, uh, place to, you know,  _ go _ ?” She made vague gestures with her hands, hoping that he could fill in the blanks.

He made a slight nod, using his head to point to his right, giving Rey a bit of hope. “Restroom, first door on the left.” 

_ Restroom. _ Rey sighed in relief and made a mental note. “Yes, thank you.” She nodded and headed in that direction. 

\--

Clyde watched Rey walk towards the restroom. He didn’t understand why she talked the way she did, but he could tell by her accent and what she was wearing that she wasn’t from around here. 

But even still, there was something about this girl, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Something… familiar and new, all at the same time. 

Minutes later, she came back to the bar and sat down again, right in front of him. 

Rey cleared her throat. “So, um, Clyde. I don’t exactly have any credits, but would it be possible to get something to drink? Like maybe some water?” 

_ Credits? Why on earth is this girl talkin’ like an arcade game?  _

Clyde picked up the glass in front of her, already filled with ice, and added water. “It’s free. Don’t need no  _ credits. _ ”

“Oh. Thank you.” She drank the entire glass in just about one gulp. 

“What’s your drink?” 

Rey set her glass down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “What do you mean? I like water.” She held up the empty glass. 

She became mesmerized as Clyde got to work, his hand reaching for things without his eyes really looking. He grabbed a glass, dropped a sugar cube inside, along with a dark liquid, crushed it up, mixing in whiskey and ice cubes before topping it with an orange peel. 

He set the drink down in front of her. She considered it, glancing between the drink and him, before finally taking a sip. 

“Kriff, that’s really good!” She took another big sip. 

Clyde studied her, wondering if she’s ever had alcohol before. Maybe he should have carded her before serving her a drink. As part owner of the bar, he should be more careful about these things, but he figured if she gets out of hand, she’s here, and he can make sure she’s safe. He isn’t sure why, especially since they’ve just met, but he feels...protective of her. 

“So, I take it you’re not from around these parts.” 

Rey looked up from her drink, palms starting to sweat.  _ Keep your cool. _ “What makes you think that?” 

“Well, no one from ‘round here talks like you do.” 

_ Oh, right.  _ “Well, I suppose not.” A chuckle escaped Rey's lips and she took another sip. 

“Passing through?” A part of Clyde was afraid what her answer might be. 

“Well, hopefully, yes. I’ve actually had some trouble with my, um…” She struggled to find the right word. 

“Your car?” He offered. 

“Yes. My  _ car _ . You wouldn’t happen to know where I can get some parts for it, would you?” Rey finished off her drink. 

“I’ll do ya one better. After my shift tonight, show ‘er to me and I’ll fix ‘er up for ya.” 

“Oh, that won’t be necessary…” 

Just then, the jukebox in the corner started playing a song that anyone else in the bar would recognize as  _ You Belong With Me. _ Clyde grumbled and walked over to the music machine. He smacked the box with his fist, causing it to skip to the next song, which happened to be  _ Neon Moon _ . 

“Stupid Taylor Swift, gotta take that shit off…” he muttered on his way back to the counter. In his huff, he fixed together another old fashioned and set it in front of Rey. 

“Oh! Thank you.” Rey made a mental note that this ‘Taylor Swift’ must be someone terrible around this planet, perhaps a junk trader like Platt or a slave owner. 

Clyde went to serve a few other customers, and by the time he got back to check on Rey, she’d downed her second drink.  _ Shit.  _ He knew all too well what was going to happen next. 

“That was- oop-“ she slid off her stool a little bit but Clyde caught her by her arm, “-really good.” Rey followed the hand up to the face to which it belongs. “Thanks, Ben.” She smiled, then began to giggle. “You know, I always thought you were really cute,” she said through her laughter. “Oh Maker, did I just tell you that? You chased me all around the galaxy but you never found me, and look - now  _ I _ found _ you _ !” She booped him on the nose. 

“Alright, it looks like you’ve had enough.” Clyde went to take the glass, but Rey stopped him. 

“No, Ben. I don’t want- I want-“ she struggled to find her words. Finally, she gave up with a huff. “I don’t know what I want. I just want to sleep.” 

He lets go of the empty glass, but fills it with water with the bar hose. “Drink. You’ll thank me t’morrow.” 

She took a small sip, then burst into tears. Clyde is well-versed with drunk men and women, he knows exactly what to do when it comes to that. But a crying girl? He’s like a fish out of water. Usually he lets the other employees handle those drunks. 

“I just, I have nowhere to go! My ship is down, I dunno what planet I’m on, and I need to get back to the Resist-tanance so we can save the galaxy!” She said through her tears. 

Normally, when women get drunk in a bar, they go on and on about their exes and how they did them wrong. This has to be a first, a pretty drunk girl going off about the galaxy and planets. With anyone else, he would just let them drink their problems away and hope they made their way home. But there was still that something about this girl that made him want to protect her, make sure she was safe. 

“Is there someone I can call for ya?” 

Rey peered up, sniffling. “I don’t have a comm.” She held up her bare arms and looked down and around her body. “No comm. It broke with my ship. And I dunno how to call Ben through the- the Force.” 

_ Hmm. _ This girl was becoming more and more intriguing. If anyone else had met her that night, they’d have her thrown in the looney bin, but lucky for her, she met Clyde. 

“The Force?” 

“Yes, the Force!” Lifting her head, she gestured her hands about in the space in front of her. “The magically magic life thing that-” she burped, “-connects us all and all-allows me move things with my mind. THE FORCE.” She buried her head in her hands and let out an exasperated sigh. 

He checked the time and noticed she was the only one left in the building. “Alright, I gotta finish up cleaning ‘round here, but don’t go anywhere.” 

“Mm-kay Ben. I’ll be right- right here.” Rey laid her head down on the counter. 

Clyde finished cleaning in record time. Rey was asleep on the bar, and barely woke when he came around the side and gently nudged her shoulder. She made a few noises, but in the end Clyde picked her up in his arms and headed towards his truck. It might be crazy for him to take her back to his place, but he was a gentleman, and he couldn’t very well leave her outside the bar. God knows what could happen to her. She would be safe with him, and hopefully she would understand tomorrow. After all, she said she had nowhere to go. 

She slept the whole way home, but it wasn’t a long drive. They arrived shortly at his house, small but all his own. After Jimmy left, Clyde lived with Mel until he found his own place. It was close to the bar, and just the right size for him and him alone. Two bedrooms, a small living space, and kitchen. He carried her into his own room, placing her softly on his bed. He pulled her boots off and pulled the blanket over her. Just as he finished tucking her in, she stirred a bit. 

“Thanks, Ben.” 

Clyde’s eyes dropped to the floor, and he got up to turn the lights off before heading to sleep on the couch. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Rey woke with a headache. She vaguely remembered the night before, her ship crashing and how she ended up walking to a cantina, but she struggled to recall how she’d gotten to… wherever she was right now. She peered around the room. She was in a large bed, clearly not made for someone of her size and stature. There wasn’t much else in the space except a dresser and a closet, where she could see a small amount of men’s shirts hanging. Everything was silent except for a few birds chirping just outside the open window. For the first time in a very long time, Rey felt relaxed and out of danger. 

A breeze blew through the room and rustled some of the papers on the nightstand, also alerting Rey to a new smell. Something… delicious, and warm. The unknown scent pulled her out of the bed and into the kitchen, where she found Clyde cooking over the stove. 

“I was wonderin’ when you was gonna get up,” he said, without turning around, almost sensing her presence. “Breakfast is almost ready.” 

Still in a bit of a daze, Rey sat herself down at the small table in the corner of the room. Shortly after, Clyde brought over two plates of food and set one down in front of her. 

“I don’t mean to be rude, but what is this?” 

Clyde sat down at the table, across from Rey. “They don’t have bacon in your parts?” 

Rey shook her head. 

“Well, that’s a damn shame.” Clyde picked up a piece with his hands and took a bite. “You’ll like this. Everybody likes bacon, but not everybody makes it right. I like to burn the edges. Plus, the grease will help with the hangover I’m sure yer feelin’.” He took another bite, which encouraged Rey to pick up her own pieces and give it a try. 

The bacon was juicy and crispy, a combination that Rey wasn’t expecting but found surprisingly perfect. Although this was her first experience with the meat, she fully believed Clyde’s way of cooking it was the best. 

She scarfed down her breakfast, not realizing just how hungry she had been. Just when she finished, Clyde asked her a question.

“Who’s Ben?” 

Rey froze.  _ How does he- _

“You kept talkin’ last night ‘bout a guy named Ben. Need to call him to pick ya up?” 

She sighed in relief. “Oh, no. He’s just… someone that I know. Or I thought I knew. I’m not sure anymore. You just… you look a  _ lot _ like him.” 

Clyde stood to pick their plates up, walking them to the sink. 

Rey was almost afraid to ask, but she needed to know. “Did I say anything else last night?” 

“Mentioned a broken spaceship and outer space stuff.” He washed the dishes and set them on a drying rack next to the sink before he turned around. “Listen, I don’t need to know all the details. But last night you seemed pretty… upset. So answer me this - does this Ben guy ever hurt you?” 

Rey felt a small smile form on her lips at Clyde making sure she was okay and looking out for her. It was a sweet and unexpected notion, one that caused her heart to warm. She had always been on her own, looking out for herself, ever since her parents left her in Jakku all those years ago. Even with Rose and Finn by her side, she still wasn’t used to other people caring for her. And somehow, this felt a little different than Rose or Finn. 

“No, no he doesn’t hurt me. Well, he…”  _ Should I tell him the truth? This planet doesn’t seem to be in the same galaxy, he probably wouldn’t even believe me… _ Even with these thoughts, her gut was telling her to trust him. Almost like the Force was telling her to trust him. “Clyde, I have to tell you something.” 

There, at a kitchen table in Boone County, West Virginia, Rey shared everything with Clyde Logan. She told him of Rose, Finn, and Poe, as well as of the war between the Resistance and the First Order. She even told him of Ben Solo and Kylo Ren, and the connection she felt through the Force with him and her hope of Ben turning towards the light.

He listened while staring at the table, taking it all in. When she finished, his eyebrows furrowed. A minute went by before he spoke. 

“So, if I’m understandin’ this right, you’re runnin’ from this Ben guy because he’s tryin’ to kidnap you, and he’s also tryin’ to take over the galaxy, but you ended up here through some kinda wormhole thing and now you dunno how to get back because your ship is broken?” 

Rey nodded. “That pretty much sums it up.” 

“But you like this Ben guy. Even though he’s tryna kidnap you.” He didn’t ask, but stated. 

“Well, I- I don’t- ” 

Clyde put his hand up. “Nevermind, I don’t need ta know. But what I can do is help you with yer ship. I may not have ever worked on a spaceship before, but I know a thing or two ‘bout fixin’ things.” 

Rey sighed in relief. “Thank you. I would be so grateful for any help. I think I just need some parts, but I don’t know if there are any on your planet. I don’t know how long it will take.” 

“Well, there’s no tellin’ nuthin’ from sittin’ in the kitchen.” With that, he stood up and grabbed his keys from where they were hanging on the wall. He headed straight out the door, leaving Rey to jump up and follow him in a hurry. 

\-- 

After Clyde drove them back to Duck Tape, Rey led him through the trees towards the open space where her X-wing crashed. Luckily, it was still there and had stopped smoking. 

Clyde inspected the ship, walking all around it. He didn’t speak a word while he checked it out, and Rey stayed silent too until he was finished. Finally, he walked back over to her. 

“Well? Can you help me?” 

“Looks somewhat similar to a fighter jet, ones I’ve worked on a few times when I was servin’ the country. I could get ya some parts, but it might take a bit for ‘em to get here,” he said. 

Rey sighed with relief and pulled him in for a hug. Clyde held his arms out away from her embrace for a second before slowly wrapping them gently around her small body. They stood there for a moment, before she pulled back. 

“Sorry,” she let go and stepped back. “I keep forgetting that you’re not him, you’re not-” 

“Ben,” he said with a note of disappointment, letting her go. 

Rey cleared her throat. “So, how long will it take to get the parts? I can search for some myself, if that will help. I’ve been told I’m quite the scavenger, usually they’re trying to insult me, but I take it as a compliment. Just point me to any wreckage, I know how to find them.” 

“Ain’t no wreckages ‘round here. Shouldn’t be more than a few weeks, I reckon.” He looked down at his feet, avoiding her gaze. “You’re welcome to stay at my place if ya need, considerin’ you probably don’t have anywhere else to go.” He brought his eyes to meet hers. There was a bit of playfulness in them. “New planet, n’ all.” 

Rey let out a small laugh at this. “Yes, it’s similar to Takadona. Lots and lots of green. I think green might be my favorite color.” She walked up to a tree and placed a hand on it’s trunk, gazing up at it’s leaves. “I think I will, stay with you, that is,” She turned back to him. “And I know I keep saying this, but I hope you know the meaning is very much still there; thank you.” 

Clyde responded by glancing at Rey, and letting the corners of his mouth curl up. 

\--

They arrived back at Clyde’s house. As soon as they were both out of the truck, Rey scanned the property. 

“Well, since I’m going to be here for a while, mind giving me a tour?” 

He nodded towards the house. “That there’s the house, and over there-” he nodded to the left, “-that’s the garage. Tour done.” 

Rey put a hand on her hip. “Garage? Like, a hanger for ships?” 

“Sure, but I ain’t got no ships. Only a broken down truck. Been tryin’ to fix it up for Mr. Peterson, but I ain’t got far on it.” 

Rey’s face lit up. “Can I see it?” 

Clyde grunted and headed towards the garage. It was a separate building from the house, large and metal with a dirt floor. The ceiling was high and there was a tan truck sitting in the middle of the room with tools that Rey had never seen before laying all over the ground. Now it was her turn to examine such a machine, and she took her time, reveling in the newness of everything she saw. She circled the truck, trying to view it from all angles, noticing it was similar to Clyde’s. She laid on the ground and pushed herself underneath it, gazing in wonder at the different mechanics and parts this truck used. All her life, she’d only worked on - and taken parts from - ships meant for space. 

She rolled out from under the vehicle, and Clyde walked over to the front of it and placed his hand underneath the metal, lifting it up to reveal the engine. Rey’s eyes widened as she examined the machinery, completely captivated by what Clyde might consider a piece of junk. 

After a few minutes, Rey turned to Clyde. “This is truly fascinating, it’s similar to speeders, but yet something on it’s own.”

“Never heard of speeders, but this one’s not fast at all. Doesn’t even run.” Clyde checked his watch. “It’s nearly 1 o’clock, you hungry?” She nodded and they started for the house. 

Inside, Clyde made two sandwiches with white bread, ham and mayonaise, each on a plate. They sat down at the table to eat. Clyde took a bite first, while Rey picked hers up hesitantly. She sniffed it before taking a bite. 

“Mmm,” escaped from her mouth, while she chewed and took several more bites. Earth food was definitely different, but so far she was liking everything she ate. 

“You can have the bedroom, I’ll take the couch.” 

Rey held a hand up in protest. “No, I don’t want you to give up your bed. I can sleep on the couch.” 

“Nonsense. My momma didn’t raise me to treat a lady like that. You’ll take the bed. The couch is plenty comfortable for me.” He spoke plainly, his mind already made up. 

The rest of the day, Rey wandered around his property, exploring this new planet while trying to fight off her fear of being stuck and separated from her friends.  _ But not Ben,  _ she found herself thinking, then shaking it away.  _ Clyde isn’t Ben. I have to remember that.  _

As the sun set, Rey sat on the front porch. Clyde came out with two glasses and sat next to her, handing her one. Rey took a sip, letting the sweet, cold drink fill her. 

They sat together listening to the sound of cicadas and drinking their teas before Clyde broke the silence. 

“I don’t have any lady clothes, but I laid somethin’ out that you could wear if you wanted. The shower works well, just gotta twist the knob all the way if ya want it hot. Fresh towels on the bed too. Just lay your old clothes by the door and I’ll wash ‘em for ya.” 

Rey couldn’t believe the kindness this man had shown her in the last twenty-four hours. From helping her with those men, to taking care of her when she was drunk, and now letting her stay here while she fixes her ship; she would forever be grateful to Clyde Logan of Earth. 

A little bit later, Rey took a shower, exactly to Clyde’s instructions, and slipped on the T-shirt with the words ‘Bob Segar’ printed on the front. It was more of a dress on her petite body, but it was better than the clothes she was wearing before. She crawled under the covers of the bed, noting that this was not the first time she’d slept in his bed, but it was the first time she did so completely sober. She closed her eyes, letting herself drift into slumber, the last thing on her mind being how she quite liked the smell of him on her pillow. 

\--

It was strange having a woman live at his house. He’d been with women before, sure, but none of them ever stayed more than a day or two at the most. And none of them had ever looked that good in one of his T-shirts. Not that he was looking, of course. He’d accidentally caught a glance when she scurried from his bedroom to the only bathroom, down the hall. One of the quirks of an old house.

It had been about two weeks since she’d mysteriously showed up at his bar, and they’d formed somewhat of a routine. They’d eat breakfast together in the morning; bacon with chocolate chip pancakes. He made them for her the third day and she insisted it was the best thing she’s ever had and must start her morning that way everyday. He couldn’t refuse anything she asked of him. After breakfast, they’d head over to the wreckage where he’d work with her until around noon. She would occasionally get frustrated with the ship and take breaks to meditate. It was a sight to see for Clyde, as Rey sat with her eyes closed and actually  _ floated  _ in the air. He secretly liked those moments, because she’d have her eyes closed and he could watch her without fear of her noticing. 

The crash site was close enough to Duck Tape that they could walk over and eat lunch there, and then she’d go back to her ship while he’d work until the evening. At first, he was hesitant to let her walk in the dark by herself, but she gently reminded him of that first night and how she can definitely handle herself with her staff. After sunset, she always met up with him at work and they’d talk on and off while he poured drinks for customers, before closing up and driving them both home.

_ Home. _ This place was slowly becoming that to her. She desperately missed her friends and hoped they were doing well, but something about this green forested place just felt right to her soul. Rey let her mind wander into unknown territory, wondering if this is what life was like without always fighting something - fighting to stay alive, fighting the First Order or fighting Ben. Could life really be this simple? Was this something she wanted for herself? It was funny how her ideas about life were changing in such a short amount of time. She chuckled to herself. Just another thing she could add to the list of ‘Things to Thank Clyde For’. He was showing her another way to live, and she found herself starting to like it. Maybe liking him too. 

Clyde interrupted her thoughts by bringing her a glass of sweet tea on the porch where she sat, gazing out at the stars. 

“Thank you.” She took the cup and held it between her hands in her lap.

He sat down next to her, taking a sip of his own drink, a bottle of Budlight. 

“So Clyde…” she started. “I realize you might not want to talk about it, and that’s okay, but I’ve been wondering. What happened to your hand? I mean, it’s not a bad thing, I had a teacher once, Master Luke, who also lost his hand. His own father cut it off with a lightsaber, which I’m sure didn’t happen to you, so I-”

“It’s alright,” he said, eyes fixed on his prosthetic arm. “Lost it in Iraq,” He paused for a moment before realizing Rey didn’t know where that was. “Uh, it’s a country overseas. I was servin’ in the Army, and uh…” He took another drink before setting his Budlight down by his feet. “Well, we was drivin’ through a small town, and all of a sudden, a bomb went off. Next thing I knew, I was lyin’ face down in the sand with one less hand than before.” 

Rey reached out and took his real hand in hers. She held it while he continued to speak. 

He cleared his throat, but didn’t let go. “Anyways, I made it back to the U.S.- to here- not long after that happened. Lived with my brother Jimmy for a while.” 

Rey studied his face, trying to learn all she could about this man. There were many similarities between Clyde and Ben, the most obvious being their features. And their lack of many words. And yet, they were very different. Ben could be selfish and conniving, always working towards what he wanted and expecting others to fall in line. There wasn’t a selfish bone in Clyde Logan’s body. It seemed he was always doing things for other people, for Rey. He was caring and considerate, sweet and quiet. While some might say Ben was dark and bitter from the pain he experienced, Clyde was pensive and thoughtful, even though he too experienced pain in his life. Rey watched the ice in her drink as she contemplated the two men and mused what it would be like to stay here, with Clyde. 

Suddenly, a small light in the large front yard caught her eye. It was there and in a flash it was gone. 

“What was that?” she excitedly asked Clyde. Letting go of his hand, she stood up and wandered out into the grass. 

“Those are lightnin’ bugs.” 

“Lightning bugs? Do they shock you?” Her eyes widened as she saw more flickering through the field.

“You mean you’ve never seen lightnin’ bugs?” he teased, a smile forming on his lips. “No, they don’t shock ya, they just sparkle around at night in the summertime. My sister and I used to catch ‘em when we was little, put ‘em in a jar and stare at ‘em for hours.” 

“That sounds incredible, both the lightning bugs and what you did with your sister.” She reached out and caught one gently in her hands. “I grew up alone in a desert in a completely different galaxy, so I’ve never seen them or anything like them before.” She examined the bug in her hands before releasing it to the night sky. “They’re beautiful.” 

“Yeah, beautiful,” he responded, so quiet it was almost to himself. Rey’s eyes were so fixated on the flashing insects that she completely missed that Clyde wasn’t even looking at them, but at her. 


	3. Chapter 3

Every night after that, Rey spent the better half of her evenings catching lightning bugs with Clyde, who found some old Mason jars for her to use. She would catch them and he would hold the jar while she put them inside. She started catching so many, that Clyde wondered if every living being was attracted to her. They would watch them while they talked, sharing things that neither thought they’d share with another. At the end of the night, Rey insisted they let the bugs go, saying that they needed to be free and would even whisper to them that she’d see them tomorrow. 

Clyde wasn’t one to get attached to anyone that wasn’t his own flesh and blood, but he was growing a soft spot for this strange, kind and caring woman from outer space. Everytime she learned something new about Earth, she smiled so big that it made his heart beat a little bit faster. He knew their time was coming to an end when on a Saturday morning, he finally got the call that the parts he’d ordered had arrived at the shop in town and were available for pick up that next Monday due to the county fair being in town. He’d have one more day with Rey, and then she’d be gone from his life forever. But before his heart could sink or his brain could overthink it all, Mel showed up at his door.

“Hello? Clyde?” She knocked on the door with one hand while opening it with the other. 

Rey heard the voice and cracked open the bedroom door, peering into the living room where Mellie was standing. 

“Can I help you?” she asked, just now realizing Clyde was the only person she’d really talked to on Earth. 

Mel turned around, eyes scanning from Rey’s messy hair down to her bare feet, standing there in the bedroom doorway in Clyde’s old T-shirt. To say she was stunned would be an understatement, as Clyde wasn’t in the habit of bringing home girls. “Well, hello there, am I interruptin’ somethin’?” 

Rey glanced down at her clothes, remembering what she was wearing and what this must look like, and she felt all her blood rush to her cheeks. “Oh my god, no! No, you’re not interrupting anything. I- I’m so sorry if you’re his-” 

“Sister,” she laughed. “I’m his little sister, Mellie.” 

Rey sighed. “Right, sister.” Was that relief she felt? She wasn’t sure why she would be feeling that. “Rey. I’m a friend of Clyde.” They were friends, at the very least. Anything else… Rey wasn’t sure, if she was being honest. But she didn’t know Mellie enough to share that at the moment.

“Mmhmm, oh, I’m sure you are sweetie.” She glanced around the room, looking for Clyde but noticing the blanket and pillow folded and stacked on the couch. She furrowed her brows. “Have you seen my brother?” 

“I haven’t, actually. I just woke up right before you arrived. I believe he might be out in the garage, he’s got a car he likes to work on out there.” 

Mellie turned to meet her eyes. “Thanks, darlin’,” She smiled before heading out the door. 

Clyde was out in the garage, but he was organizing tools rather than working on the truck. As soon as he saw Mellie, his face paled. 

“So, I just met your very lovely, very European girlfriend, Clyde.” Mellie walked in and sat in the one chair in the garage. “I didn’t realize you had company, or else I’da called first.” 

“She’s not my girlfriend, she’s just a friend who needed a little help, that’s all.” He turned back to his tools. 

“Mmhmm, I’m sure. She’s real pretty, ya know. Way out of your league.”

“What do ya want, Mel?” 

She huffed. “Can’t a sister come check on her big brother who she hadn’t heard from in weeks?” 

“Now when have you ever been that carin’?” Clyde teased. 

Mellie frowned and checked her phone. “Since always, and you know it. I was wonderin’ if you was goin’ to the Summer County Fair t’morrow. I was wantin’ to go and was gonna see if you wanted to go with me. I bet Rey would like it, you should invite her too.” 

Clyde’s gut reaction was to say no and make up some lame excuse as to why he couldn’t go. But then he thought of Rey, and her fascination with all the things on Earth, and her smile, and he heard himself answering Mellie.

“Sure, I’ll ask her. But do me a favor?” Mel looked up from her phone. “Can you let Rey borrow some of your clothes? She’s only got the one set, and I don’t have nothin’ to lend her.” 

Mellie’s face brightened. “Like a makeover? Absolutely, I’ll be over first thing t’morrow.” She winked. Clyde rolled his eyes as his little sister practically skipped out of the garage to her car. 

\-- 

True to her word, Mellie showed up the next day at eight o’clock in the morning. Clyde and Rey had just finished breakfast when she walked through the door. 

“Good mornin’ y’all! I brought some things for ya, Rey darlin’.” 

Luckily, Clyde had already filled Rey in the night before about his sister, including what she’d assumed about the two of them. He apologized, of course, but couldn’t help but wonder that night if Rey thought of him in that way. He had shaken it from his head, because how could she? She was from space, and he was from Earth. There just wasn’t any way, and he had to be okay with that. 

Mellie grabbed Rey by the wrist and pulled her into the bedroom. Throwing her bag on the bed, she unzipped it and dumped out a pile of clothes. 

“Clyde mentioned you didn’t have many things, includin’ nice clothes, so I thought I’d bring over somethin’ you can borrow, if you’d like.” 

“Oh, you don’t have to-” 

“Darlin’, it’s nothin’ to be embarrassed about, everybody has their times in life when they need a little help. No shame in that. Just pick out whatever you wanna wear.” 

Rey sorted through the pile and picked out a few things she liked. She went to the bathroom to change, and afterwards Mellie kept her in there so she could do her hair and makeup. Rey didn’t really understand it, as when she was working for the Resistance there wasn’t much time or need for such luxuries, but Earth was turning out to be much different, so she let it happen. Mellie brushed all her tangles and knots, before taking the curler to her brown locks. The makeup felt the weirdest, but only because Rey wasn’t used to having something on her face that she couldn’t touch or she’d “smudge it”, as Mellie said. But after they were finished, which was about an hour later, Mel stood back to admire her work. 

“I feel ridiculous, is this really what girls here wear?” 

“Rey, sweetie, you look smokin’ hot.” 

Rey’s face flushed, not sure what to say to that. 

Mellie opened the door and walked her down the hall to where Clyde sat patiently on the couch, watching Nascar. As soon as Rey stepped into the room, however, his eyes averted from the screen to her and he practically gaped at what he saw.

Rey was wearing tight skinny jean shorts of a light wash, a white tank top, and a black leather jacket. Her hair was loosely curled, falling just past her shoulder, and her eyelids were dark and smokey, bringing out the green in her hazel eyes. Clyde immediately stood up. 

“I know, I know, I look ridic-”

“Beautiful.” The word fell out of his mouth faster than a waterfall. “I mean, you looked good before, but you also look good now too,” he stumbled, hoping his mouth would just stop working all together. 

Rey blushed. “Thank you, Clyde.” 

Mellie smiled and shook her head, mostly to herself. She’d never seen her brother this head over heels for anyone, even if he didn’t realize that he was. And while she had just met Rey, she could already tell she was falling for him, too. 

They all three piled into Mellie’s car and headed for the fair. For the first time in nearly three weeks, Rey felt a little tinge of homesickness because it was like she was back on a spaceship on account of how fast Mellie was driving. When they arrived, it was already fairly packed. There wasn’t much to do in Boone County in the summer, and practically everyone went to the Summer County Fair. 

Clyde hopped out of the car and opened the door for Rey, who was sitting in the passenger seat. She gave him a questioning look, as if saying,  _ I can open my own door.  _ He stepped back and let his hand rub the back of his neck. Mel walked around the front of the car, then realized her brother and Rey weren’t moving. 

“Stop flirtin’ and come on, you two! I’m goin’ to win myself one of them giant teddy bears.” She started for the fair, leaving Rey and Clyde awkwardly staring at their feet. 

Rey had never seen anything like what she saw at the Summer County Fair. There were stands for various games, delicious smells of foods she’d never tasted, and tons and tons of people. Amongst the people, she realized there were also animals too, ones that she somewhat recognized but didn’t know the names to. Thankfully, as they walked, Clyde whispered their names to her. 

“Cow,” he said, pointing to a large black and white animal. “We get milk from ‘em.” 

“Interesting,” she mused. 

He pointed to another that they passed. “Horse. We ride those.” 

Rey chuckled. “Ah, I see.” She pointed to a rather large pink tinted animal. “And that?” 

“Pig. That’s where bacon comes from.” 

Rey gasped. “You mean, I’ve been eating that creature?” 

“Yep.” Clyde laughed. “But they taste mighty good, don’t they?” 

Rey burst into laughter as well. “They really do…” Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. “Speaking of food, what’s the best thing to eat around here? I’ve been smelling all sorts of things, but I don’t know what to choose.” 

Clyde thought for a moment. “Corndogs.” He slid his hand into hers and walked toward one of the stalls. 

Rey decided she loved corndogs. She wanted to try everything and Clyde let her. He was really enjoying seeing her reactions to whatever she ate, but his favorite was when she scrunched her nose to something she didn’t like. She loved almost all that she ate, except fried pickles. Clyde wasn’t a big fan of them himself, but he grew up eating them and figured Rey should get to try them for herself. 

After Rey filled her stomach with all the fair food, they found themselves in the game area. They spotted Mellie over at the ring toss, determined to win herself a stuffed bear. Clyde decided it best to leave Mel to her business, as she wasn’t very pleasant to be around when she was focused on something. He led Rey over to the balloon darts, and paid the game attendant for a couple rounds for himself and Rey. 

“So what do I do?” Rey asked as Clyde handed her the darts.    
  


“Just throw the darts at the balloon, try to pop ‘em.” 

“Oh. That simple?” 

“That simple.” 

She picked up the first dart and casually threw it, completely missing. Her nose scrunched, and a corner of Clyde’s mouth lifted to a smirk. 

“Kriff, what was that?” 

“You’ve still got two more. Try again.” 

She tried again, focused, but still missed. Frustrated, she stomped a foot. She still had one more left, and wouldn’t let it go to waste. 

This time, Rey closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, letting herself connect with the Force. The connection was still weak, but it was still there. Without opening her eyes, she threw the dart. 

Rey shot open her eyes when she heard the balloon pop. 

“I did it??” She turned to Clyde, who was just as surprised. 

“You didn’t do that thing, did ya?” He squinted his eyes and wiggled his fingers in her direction.

Rey looked around, avoiding his eye contact. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Clyde deadpanned. The booth worker handed Rey a small plastic bag tied at the top. She accepted it, holding it up to peer inside at the tiny orange speck swimming around. 

“What is it?” she asked, excitement and wonder in her voice. 

“It’s a goldfish,” Clyde answered. “Careful with the bag.” She tightened her grip and pulled it in close to her body. 

“What do I do with it? Is it worth a lot of credits?” 

Clyde liked that she still used her weird terminology for things. “Nah, it’s only worth a few cents. Basically nothing. But hey, you won ‘em. That’s worth somethin’.” He playfully hits her on the shoulder, a smile growing on his lips. “Even if you cheated.” 

\--

They played a couple more games, but didn’t win anything as Rey promised she wouldn’t use the Force anymore. They found Mellie by the funnel cake stand, with her giant teddy bear that she claimed to have won, even though Clyde knew she probably gave up after a few tries and bought it off the guy. As the sun began to set, they walked back to the car. Mellie dropped Rey and Clyde off at his house, telling Rey she hoped to see her again soon, and whispering to Clyde how much she liked her for him. Luckily, it was dark now, which helped to hide the blush on Clyde’s cheeks from Mel’s comment. Thankfully, she headed home before stirring up too much more. 

The stars were beginning to peak out through the trees; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Clyde set down Rey’s prize fish on the kitchen table and grabbed a blanket from the hall closet.

“Come with me.” 

She followed him outside, past the garage, towards the open field a good walk down from his house. He cursed the thick blanket he held in his hand, and for a moment wished he had his other hand back, if only so he could hold Rey’s while they walked. 

After walking for about ten minutes, he came to a halt in the middle of the field. He started to lay the blanket out with his good hand, before Rey took it from him. 

“Please, let me.” Her hand brushed his when she took the blanket, and he let her, not hearing any pity in her voice, but something else, something sweet. She laid it out smooth on the grass. Rey sat down first, with her knees up by her chest and arms draped around them, and then Clyde followed. 

“I’m sure you know all about the stars, bein’ from space ‘n all.” When he spoke, it was almost a whisper. 

“Not so much these stars, but even still, knowing about them doesn’t make them any less beautiful.” She moved to lay down on her back, so she could see the clear sky for all that it was.

Again, Clyde followed her move. 

“I miss my friends,” Rey confessed, “I miss them so much. I really hope they’re okay.” He takes her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. “But it’s strange. I miss them and I worry, but something about this place just feels… right.” She squeezed his hand. “Like it’s where I belong.”

He kept his eyes on the stars, letting his mind wander to the possibility of Rey staying on Earth. He felt his heart flutter, like it was filled with a hundred butterflies. 

“What if it is where you belong?” 

Rey rolled over towards Clyde, who was now looking over at her. He leaned in, slowly. 

She’d never kissed anyone before in her entire life, and while she hadn’t been thinking of such things over the last couple years, she spent a lot of evenings in Jakku as a teenager wondering and imagining this exact moment. Well, not exactly this, but if she were being honest, this was much better than anything her imagination had conjured up. 

Clyde paused, eyes closed, waiting for Rey to close the gap. He wasn’t normally one for stealing a kiss, especially if he wasn’t sure if it would be reciprocated. The next thing he knew, Rey’s lips were on his, soft and gentle. His hand moved from hers to cup her face, the kiss growing in fervor. 

Rey’s first kiss was everything she could have ever imagined, and more. As she kissed Clyde, her head spun, and she felt all her worries of her friends melt away. A warmness started in her core and flowed through her body, her lips asking for more, then suddenly demanding it. 

“Ben,” she heard the name escape from her lips in between kisses.

Clyde broke away, his hand now at the base of her neck. “Did you just say…” 

Rey’s eyes shot open, her blood running cold. 

“No, well, yes, but I didn’t-”

He sat up, letting go of her. 

“You just called me Ben.” 

Rey sat up too, putting her hands on his shoulders. “I did, but, Clyde, you don’t understand, I didn’t mean-” 

He started to stand up, pushing her hands off of him. “Oh, I think I understand perfectly clear.” He looked down at her, the stars shining behind him. “I don’t think  _ you _ understand. You say I look like ‘em. This Ben guy. But let’s get one thing straight. I ain’t him, and I ain’t ever gon’ be him.” 

With that, he started back towards the house, leaving Rey on the blanket with tears streaming down her face. 

After what seemed like forever, sitting there on the blanket, Rey walked herself back to the house, luckily remembering where to go. When she stepped into the doorway, Clyde wasn’t on the couch as she expected him to be. In fact, he wasn’t anywhere in the house at all. She moped to her room - or Clyde’s room - and took off her jacket. She curled up in the bed, covering herself up with the quilt, but she could not fall asleep because all she could think about was Clyde. 


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Rey felt like she’d been hit by a speeder. She tossed and turned all night, never really falling asleep. She couldn’t believe what she did, but she also couldn’t believe the conflict she felt inside of her.  _ Stupid, stupid girl. You called him Ben?? _ She rubbed her eyes, still sitting in the bed. The sun shone through the curtains, indicating that it was early morning. Clyde had told her before they went to the fair that the parts for her ship would arrive today, so she knew her time here was coming to an end. She was ready to get back to her friends, and get back to helping to save the galaxy. But if she were really ready, then why did she feel such a sinking feeling in her stomach? Did she really want to leave this place, when it felt so much like…  _ Home,  _ she thought.  _ This place feels like home, but how can that be? _

When she finally made it out of bed, she nervously opened the bedroom door, expecting to see Clyde either in the living room or the kitchen. To her surprise, he still wasn’t in the house at all. She did find, however, a simple note in scrappy handwriting. 

_ Rey,  _

_ The parts for your ship are in the garage.  _

_ Clyde _

She fixed her hair in the bathroom, back into her three buns that she wore when she first arrived on Earth. She put on her clothes and laid Mellie’s on the made bed. 

When she got out to the garage, Clyde was underneath the old truck, feet sticking out. Rey knocked on the side of the building to let him know she was there. 

He didn’t roll out from under the truck. “Well, it’s about time.” 

“I barely slept.” Rey stayed in the large doorway, unsure of what to do. 

“I slept like a baby.” 

He was trying to hurt her, but she wasn’t going to let him. “Good for you. Your note said my parts were here?” 

He rolled out, wearing a backwards cap and holding a wrench. He nodded to the other side of the garage. “Over there. Everythin’ you need is there.” 

Finally seeing his face, Rey was hit with a wave of guilt. “Clyde, I’m really sorry. Last night, I-” 

“Don’t worry about it.” He held up a hand, brushing her off. “I get it. You still have a thing for this Ben guy, and I don’t wanna stand in the way of that.” 

“Clyde, that’s not it,” she pleaded. “I mean, I suppose that’s  _ part _ of it, but please understand. Before I came here, I never even had time to think about anything other than fighting against the First Order, let alone my feelings for anyone. So yeah, maybe you’re right,” She stepped a little closer. “Maybe I do have feelings for Ben. But what I do know is that ever since coming here, I’ve changed.  _ You _ have changed me. You’ve done so much for me, and now…” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Now I’m just confused. I need time to figure things out, in my head and my heart, but I also have to get back to my friends. Rose, Finn, Poe - they need me. Time is a luxury I don’t have anymore, especially now that I can fix my ship. I have to save my galaxy. I’m- I’m so sorry.” 

She quickly grabbed the parts she needed, and rushed out before Clyde could say anything. 

\-- 

Clyde stayed in the garage for a few hours, working on the truck in silence. After he got it running, he moved on to smaller jobs around the garage, like organizing and cleaning, hoping to keep Rey out of his head. But no matter what he did, in his mind replayed over and over again what she said to him. Maybe he should have gone after her. Maybe he should have said something different, instead of being cold and brushing her off. What if he’d asked her to stay? What if she hadn’t said Ben’s name last night, but his? The ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ ran through his brain faster than Richard Petty at the Daytona 500. 

Around three o’clock, he decided he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to see her, he couldn’t let that conversation be the last one they had. He went out to where he’d parked his truck and laughed at what he saw. Or rather, what he didn’t see. In the heat of Rey rushing out, she had taken his keys and driven his truck to her crash site. He cursed under his breath, hoping that she didn’t crash his truck like she had her ship. He hopped in the recently repaired vehicle and headed to the site, hoping he wasn’t too late. 

When he arrived, he found his truck parked askew but undamaged. While he was happy about that, he immediately noticed that there was a giant gaping hole in the earth where Rey’s ship had once been, and felt an equally sized hole in his chest. 

\--

Life carried on, the warm summer breeze eventually shifting and settling into a cool autumn air. The green foliage that Rey had loved so much turned to a mixture of oranges, reds, yellows and browns, almost like Earth itself was trying to remove the memory of her from Boone County. However, the attempt to forget only made the memory stronger, as with each change, Clyde could only think of how much Rey would have loved to watch the colors transform before her eyes. 

Even working at the bar, he couldn’t shake her from his mind. Women would flirt with him, on occasion, but he never smiled back or gave them any sort of attention different than any other customer. He would serve them drinks, and nothing more, before closing up each night and headed home alone. When he got home, however, he wasn’t really alone. There on the counter was a fishbowl, the bottom covered with light green stones and a plant, with a little orange speck swimming around. 

\--

“You’re comin’ over for Thanksgivin’, right? Sadie’s dyin’ to see ya, and you know how hard it is to say ‘no’ to her,” Jimmy said on the phone. 

Thanksgiving was in just a few days, although Clyde hadn’t really thought much about it.

“I’ll try to make it, I gotta make sure the bar is runnin’ smooth.” 

Jimmy groaned. “You’ve been overworkin’ yerself with that damn bar for months now. What’s gotten into ya?” 

“Nothin’. Listen, I gotta go but you tell Sadie that I’ll see ‘er on Thursday.” 

He sighed. Classic Clyde, not wanting to talk about anything. “Alright.” 

After hanging up with Jimmy, Clyde went outside on his porch. He sat there for a while, watching a thunderstorm roll in, and soon enough it started to rain. He hated how much he missed Rey, and how much his heart hurt. He’d only known her for three weeks, yet she made an impact on his life that would stay with him forever. 

Eventually, the rain died down, and he decided to go pick up some food at the local grocer, maybe a pie to take to Jimmy’s the next day. He went inside to get the keys, and when he came back out, he stopped in his tracks. Rey was standing in his yard, right in front of the porch steps. 

Clyde took a step forward, not knowing if this were a vision from his imagination or if she were really there. He hadn’t been sleeping well and constantly working, so a large part of him was leaning towards the former. 

Rey was wearing her cream colored outfit, the one she was wearing the first time they met, all those months ago, and her hair was halfway pulled back from her face, the other half flowing down her shoulders. There was something about her that was… different. 

“Hi,” she whispered, a softness in her eyes. 

He took another step forward, to the edge of the porch where the steps began. Rey looked him over, noticing the small changes, like how he had a full beard now and the bags under his eyes. 

“Hey,” he said, shaking his head as if he still didn’t believe she was there. “What are you-” 

“I’m sorry.” She took a step towards him. “I know you’re not him. Ben. I went back, helped my friends, and it turns out, I found time to figure some things out.” 

He looked away for a moment, trying not to get his hopes up again. 

“And what did ya figure out? What did you come back for?” 

She took another step. “You.” 

He met her gaze. She was only feet from him now, standing on the ground and him on the porch steps. 

“I came back for you. I love you, Clyde Logan.” 

He stepped down from the porch to stand right in front of her. “I hope you can love me for me. Like I said before, I ain’t him.” 

“I know. And I don’t want you to be. I’ve spent my whole life waiting for you. For exactly who you are.” 

He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. “Really? Well that’s convenient.” Rey lightly punched his shoulder. 

“Is that really all you have to say? I declare my love for you, and that’s your response?” 

Clyde pulled her in with his good arm and kissed her ardently. She felt herself melt into him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her hands into his hair and pressing her body against his. 

After a few moments, they slowly released each other. Rey looked up at him, finally feeling like she was where she belonged.  _ Home. _

“I love you, too,” he answered. “And I’m sorry. I shouldnt’ve expected ya to have all yer shit figured out. But,” He leaned in to steal another kiss. “I’m sure glad you came back. Does that mean yer here to stay?” 

She nodded. “After returning to my galaxy, I helped my friends restore balance between the dark and light. Ben turned to the light and actually saved my life. But in the end, I realized something.” Clyde lifted an eyebrow. “Ben isn’t you. And I choose  _ you.  _ Even if I could do it all over again, no matter what galaxy I was born into, no matter who came into my life, or saved it, I know now that I’d still have to find you, and I’d choose you, every time.” 

She pulled him down to meet her lips, and kissed him with a certainty that assured him that she meant every word - and she wasn’t going anywhere. 


End file.
